Moscow face control scares people off

It's amost impossible to enjoy a night out in a Moscow club without encountering what's known locally as Face Control – a person with a clipboard who carefully controls who is allowed in.

The rules often seem arbitrary. Is it money, fashion, connections or simply good looks which dictate who enters?

For a lot of nightclub-goers, it seems like a game of roulette. Those responsible for face control have become almost cult figures.

Those who scan people at the entrance of the club stress the point that their occupation is serious and requires profound knowledge of the Moscow night life and club-goers.

“First of all I'm a psychologist. I have to assess at a glimpse a person's outlook, his prosperity and a lot of other details…You've got to be really smart and besides to be firm, to be resistant to threats that people carry out to you,” states one of those “face control men”.

More exciting is to have no problems with the face control and party all night long, though not everyone can boast about it.

“I'm a frequent guest at this club but this time somehow – I've just been declined,” grieves a well dressed man of about 35 years old.

“The problem is that they never explain why you can't enter the club. They just let you in or turn you down. They use their own criteria for judging people and these criteria are absolutely wrong! I can spend a lot of money in this club but they don't want to let me in. It really screws up Moscow night life,” complains a young brunette.

“There is some criteria for assessing people. The first and the foremost it's a person's mood. If I see that he or she are anxious or aggressive I'll turn them away. Then I judge how nice a visitor looks and then finally I assess how wealthy a person is,” explains face control guard.

So it certainly appears not all just about money. It's not enough to fill your wardrobe with the latest designer brands, you have to look positive and radiate joy and happiness.

Those involved in the clubbing business agree face control is not all about letting in just rich people

“A Club is more about an atmosphere. There have to be certain people who don't spoil this captivating atmosphere,” explains Artem Komlev, a club owner.